The long road to Lucban

It was a long drive, five hours each way, but we had pit stops and shopping along the way. It was actually a pleasant drive, the roads were good.

We were destined for the Kamay ni Jesus Shrine in Lucban, Quezon. We do not know the distance in kilometers, how far it is from our base, but we passed through more than ten towns, going to and coming back from the Shrine. It was a long drive, five hours each way, but we had pit stops and shopping along the way. It was actually a pleasant drive, the roads were good.

As we hit Calamba, anticipation went up to fever pitch as one of our co-passengers informed us that soon we will be in “duck country,” the town of Victoria, a town which to that day was unknown to us. Indeed it was a town of ducks, heralded by the trio of duck figurines, the welcome sign at the entrance to the town proper. We parked at the store that sells cooked ducks called itik – cooked kinulob (simmered while covered) or pekin (we figured this was inspired by the Chinese peking duck), in two sizes, medium and large, P180 and P350 each. At home we heated the pekin in our toaster oven, and it became crispy, with tender flesh. This can be eaten with hoisin sauce, the better to approximate the Chinese original. This store sells balut, four for P50, and red eggs at the same price.

We moved on and visited an old church, San Agustin. Then to the shrine, where Jesus with outstretched arms is a welcoming sight, but is reached only by climbing 305 steps. The seniors stayed in the big church, while the young with sturdy legs negotiated the stairs. Lunch was at Buddy’s in the town square, where they serve pancit lucban, hardinera (their version of meat loaf, which was too catsup-ee) and mixed vegetable lumpia.

More shopping followed at the downtown area, beside the old Luis Obispo church, where we got a shock, a big one. This was at the Ekel and Ely store, selling all sorts of food pasalubong, including old biscuits like Jacobina. Needless to say we all bought the famous Lucban longganiza, the jumbo at P150 a kilo. At breakfast the following morning, a member of the family showed us what he found in the longganiza – an insect! So off the whole lot went to the trash bin. Perhaps they should have better product quality control? What a disappointment it was. And considering our job to get details, we failed to ask for their phone number.

We had other stops on the way back – for kesong puti, P120 for a bunch of two, each piece smaller than a closed fist, lanzones initially at P70 a kilo, then a few paces away, it was P50 per, empanada at P28 per and espasol at P100 for three packs.

A day well spent, indeed.

Back in our base, it was like Christmas time, as we received the first Yuletide item in the form of fruitcake samplers from Ju.D Pastries and Confectioneries. We do remember the lady very well, who produces the most delicious fruit cakes in the country. She has been doing it, and perfecting her recipe, for the last three decades, doing her research and experimentation unceasingly. She started after graduating from college. She never went to a cooking or baking school yet now, we equate a good fruit cake with her name. Hers is the brand that has become perfect Christmas gifts as well as an offering on the Yuletide table. This year she has different variants – the classic, an all-time favorite; coffee prune cake, in which she incorporated Blue Mountain coffee with brandy and Kahlua (this is good!); Ju.D Blue, also with coffee but from Australia, with glazed fruits and nuts; the golden, made with honey and brown sugar with a combination of Canadian red cranberries and apricots with a hint of mild ginger.

Her Chewy Chewkies, cookies with flavors of butter, brandy and brown sugar, are also available. Regular-sized 2-lb fruitcakes cost between P950 and P1,000 per, the minis with eight in a box at P850, the Chewies at P300 a box and the Cookie Petites at P200. For orders, call telephone 663-1188 or 633-0260. 

Now there is a new rice in the market, the RiCo Corn Rice, made fully from corn with the grains shaped as rice. The manufacturer aims to provide families with an alternative staple that is full of iron and calcium. Check your supermarkets for this.

Have a good family Sunday!

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